BELLAIRE • MEMORIAL • RIVER OAKS • TANGLEWOOD • WEST UNIVERSITY

Hurricane Scares: Remembering Harvey during Laura

By Tulsi Parikh, Memorial High School, School Buzz Reporter | September 4, 2020

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A recent photo of the Parikh family (pictured, top left to bottom right): Ami Parikh, Tulsi Parikh, Aria Parikh, Manish Parikh.

As if 2020 needed to be defined by another disaster or a reason to go into crisis mode, the stress and uncertainty of Hurricane Laura set off a string of unusual emotions. Luckily, Houston was spared the wrath that we know a Category 4 hurricane can bring, and my heart goes out to Louisiana and all thos eaffected.

The recent week of forecast scares forced me to relive the anxiety and fear we all endured three years ago. While looking back at this time in our lives, I recalled a particular poem I wrote, summarizing the experience me and my family confronted. Although this piece doesn’t do justice to the severity of those impacted, we are beyond grateful to have this story to tell.

HARVEY
By Tulsi Parikh, written at age 12

6:00pm
Uncertain weather
Red light. Red light. Red light.

6:30pm
Safety arrives
Dinner, dessert, decisions

10:00pm
Journey home
Street turned swamp
Sewage erupts
Torrential rain
Turn back

10:45pm
Pajamas, our only protection

Midnight
Too exhausted to sleep
More people than rooms

3:00am
Fast asleep

7:00am
Cries and shouts
Frantic adults
The house is awake
Eight people crowded
Ankle-deep water
Don’t walk downstairs

10:00am
Power outage
Anxiety builds
Canoes dot the road
But no luck for us
Boredom and boats

1:00pm
Our yells are silent to the world
outside of these windows
Faith is shaking

2:00pm
Social media to the rescue
No help
Lunchtime
Sweats and talk of survival

5:00pm
There is hope

6:00pm
We ate all the snacks
Even the king-size gummy bears

7:30pm
Hello darkness you’re not my friend
Rain penetrating through the glass
not even giving the windows a fighting chance

8:45pm
Paddling through the river of streets
At least the rain is camouflaging our tears
Thunder bolts
Lightning strikes
Unforgiving currents

9:00pm
Close to drowning
Canoe overload
Sudden movements
Stay alert

9:15pm
All loaded
Hushed voices
Soft cries from every corner
Stomachs churning

9:30pm
Lost in the loop
Chaos has risen

10:00pm
Back on track
Abrupt stop
Ladders unravel
People descend
Women and children first
Lantern and flashlight in hand
Rushing to safety

10:30pm
Half asleep
Escaped the danger
Yelps of joy
Too many tears
Even more missed phone calls

11:00pm
Sighs of relief
But still shaken
Rid of past troubles
By clean water
Lathered in soapy suds of strawberry shampoo
Trot to bed
Pillow and blanket in hand

3:00am
Replay the day
Stretch legs
Close eyes
First yawn, last yawn
REM in progress
Lesson learned
Never again
Hurricane Harvey

Editor's note: Find ways to help those impacted by Hurricane Laura here.